A must for the TRUE fan

this is a good cd,I remember buying it some 20 somthing years ago in High school it is not the best one but if you love ac/dc you will like this.it does have classic's like TNT,Rock "n" Roll singer,and Long way to the Top.You will no these if you are a long time fan.For new fans I Suggest IF YOU WANT BLOOD witch was my first AC/DC album and I loved them ever since-or Highway to hell--they are more in the groove shall we say. R.I.P BON SCOTT--YOU WERE THE BEST!!!

Excellent worldwide debut

High Voltage (1976.) ACDC's first album.

In the mid-seventies, hard rock was very slowly going mainstream. Bands like Black Sabbath, though shunned at first, were beginning to get the respect and recognition they deserved so much. In Australia, five guys were playing some of the hardest rock the world had heard yet. ACDC had arrived. The band had built up quite a following in a relatively short time in their homeland, and in 1976, the boys from down under released their debut album, appropriately entitled High Voltage (note that the band's discography in their native Australia is slightly varied from that of their worldwide discography, and this review is only for the worldwide version.) Is their debut a solid effort that stands the test of time, or is it a desperate cry for help that the band needs to find its sound? Read on and you'll find out.

Its A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock N Roll) kicks off the album off with straight-up classic hard rock, similar to the KISS classic Strutter. The late Bon Scott's vocals really shine here, especially in the chorus. And, of course, Angus Young serves up some damn good guitar riffs. Appropriately enough, this song has been getting a revival in recent months. Rock N Roll Singer is another classic hard rocker, this one has some very nice blues-based riffs. Once again, Bon's vocals steal the show. For The Jack, the band slows way down, but it's no less a heavy track than the previous one. It's much more bluesy than the previous tracks, but still nothing short of excellent. As a way of being funny, the band adds a fake audience at the end. Live Wire is one of the few songs on the album I can call a filler track. It's not terrible, but it sounds too much like the opening track - and this one pulls the stylings off to a lesser extent. TNT was ACDC's first big hit. Honestly, who HASN'T heard this song? It's appropriate that this classic hard rocker got popular - it's one of the finest tracks the band ever did. Can I Sit Next To You Girl features the band pulling off an interesting experiment - combining oldies rock with hard rock. The end result is, believe it or not, VERY good! It's an underrated masterpiece, and the guitar must be heard to be appreciated. Little Lover is another filler track, this one sounds too much like The Jack did - but the level of quality isn't as high. Still, it's not that bad. She's Got Balls is another classic hard rocker with some excellent blues-based riffs. Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure modern rock band Queens Of The Stone Age ripped them off and used them in a recent hit. And as for the closer, which is the title track, imagine Foghat fired their lead singer and replaced him with Bon Scott. If that happened, you'd get something like this. This track is so similar to Foghat, it's scary (the opening riff is strikingly similar to that of Foghat's hit Fool For The City.) Of course, since I like Foghat, similarities to them are appreciated. This is an excellent closing track.

There have been numerous issues of this worldwide version of the album over the years, but they're all pretty much the same. Really, the only ways that they differ from one another is the way that the liner notes are set up. There are some differences in the sound quality, but really nothing major or worth mentioning here. It doesn't matter which version you buy - they're all pretty much the same.

ACDC is one of the all-time great classic hard rock bands. And now that their albums have been reissued, there's no time like the present to snatch them up! Also, if you're just getting into the band, don't overlook the EP entitled '74 Jailbreak. It contains some tracks that were featured on the Australian edition of High Voltage but not the American one (though sadly, it doesn't have ALL of them.) There are also some rarities of this sort in the Bonfire box set. If you like hard rock and/or heavy metal, DO NOT PASS ACDC by.

First Rate Album

The New Remasters that came with the "Phase" 1,2 and 3 releases of the remasters showed just how in touch with the fans the band was and is. The packaging is superb, and the booklet is great. The reproduction of the original artwork is totally fabulous.

On a regular stereo, as well as a 5.1 system, this disc is amazing. The work of George Marino ( as credited) is brilliant.

Absolutely none of this is dated. And to show just how good this album/cd is, the album still has fan faves that work in concert.

My only complaint on re-hearing this album in remaster form after more than 15 years, is that the JACK has lyrics that are very different to the current ( last ten years or so) version of the song, and it is really Bon Scotts lyrics that are so very superior in form to what Brian songs. Bon is the better singer, but since he has passed on in flesh, and lives on in album, we will not know just how good the current band would be with Bon.

Buy and enjoy.

Get the Australian cds if you can

Three stars simply because it is a compilation. By itself it is not bad, and actually very good, but if you are more than a casual listener, get the Original Australian High Voltage (with the red cover and Dog) and T.N.T. This album is actually T.N.T with some tracks added and some deleted. Little lover and She's Got Balls still annoy me to no end. These were tracks from the original High Voltage. Why this was called High Voltage and Not T.N.T is still a mystery as most of the tracks were from T.N.T and not High Voltage.

It's A Long Way...

This is the best album ever. It was one of the first albums released in America. I first heard this album on a tape a long time ago, and i wanted to get it on cd. This is a must- have for AC/DC fans because this was their start of rock 'n' roll!

Nothin' but Rock'n'Roll

I am a fan of the Bon Scott ara,and to me , this is a good Bon album.My favorite song in ITS A LONG WAY TO THE TOP because Bon plays a part along with Angus,on get ready for this, the bagpipes.The pipes sound suprisingly good playing with the guitars.This album also features one of my favourite songs,THE JACK.The rest of the album is also good,featuring songs like HIGH VOLTAGE,T.N.T,and LIVE WIRE.A good rock album!!

The album that intro'd us to AC/DC outside Australia

Australian rockers AC/DC's debut album for the world outside Australia entitled High Voltage was originally released in September of 1976 on Atlantic Records for Europe and Japan and the Atlantic subsidiary Atco in the US and Canada.

High Voltage was the album that introduced the world outside Australia to the Australian thunder from Down Under called AC/DC which comprised of Scottish born lead guitarist Angus Young and his rhythm guitarist brother Malcolm. Plus two Aussies drummer Phil Rudd and bass player Mark Evans. Fellow Scotsman lead singer Bon Scott rounded out the lineup(Bon joined in 1974 replacing original frontman Dave Evans whom got canned after recording the single Can I Sit Next to You Girl).

The High Voltage album was actually a compilation of their first two Australian released albums, 1975's High Voltage and TNT.

How is this album(as I found out when I received this album on cassette for my 15th birthday in 1991 and now have the remastered CD which sounds superb), read on.

We kick things off with the rock radio staple It's A Long Way to the Top(If You Wanna Rock and Roll) which has a killer Young brothers riff, a killer Scott vocal and bagpipe work from Bon. Next is the rocker Rock and Roll Singer which is a great song. Next is the bluesy rocker The Jack which was using playing poker as a metaphor for getting down and dirty with a woman. We end the first half with Live Wire which is a killer rocker and was a staple in the setlist for the rest of the Bon Scott era.

The second half begins with the rocking title cut to the second Australian album T.N.T. which is today a concert and radio staple. Next is a re-make of the band's first single Can I Sit Next to You Girl this time with Bon on vocals and did the song better than how the band did it with Dave Evans. Next are two songs from the Australian release of High Voltage which is the slow blues of Little Lover and the pulsating rocker She's Got Balls. We end the album with High Voltage's title cut. This rocker is a great number and was a setlist staple for years and this track was actually on the Australian release T.N.T. as well.

The album was a huge hit outside the US and Canada initially but was eventually a Platinum seller.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

This cd is awsome

Bon Scott is the true ACDC singer,and this is a great example.IT's pure great rock that any ACDC fan would love.This sure as hell shows how much better Bon is than Brian Jhonson.



It's a long way to the top-Gives me a lot of energy when i listen to it.Good lyrics,rythm and just a great song-1010

Rock n roll singer-Even better than the last song.The singing is awsome and of course the guitars are top notch.

Jack- Never liked it.To dumb and dull-210

live wire-What an amazing song.My fav on this album and mabee even my fav ACDC song.Has a fast tempo and a super cool solo.

T.N.T-A classic ACDC song.Need i say more-1010

Can i sit next to u girl-Not bad,but the best.Its pretty catchy but doesn't compare to T.N.T,rock n roll singer or live wire;still good-810

little lover-Boring.It drags on and on.It tells a story on how he met his girlfreind at his own concert before he was famous.Thats pretty interesting,but thr song still sucks-410

she's got balls-I feel the same about this one as little lover.-410

High voltage-Great way to end the cd.About high voltage rock n roll,you can tell by just that that this song will be great-1010.